Arts & Entertainment
Rock steady
New gay climbing group meets in Rockville
Chris Gorham at the Homo Climbtastic convention in Bishop, Calif. (Photo by Tim Kettering)
Being out in nature can be a peaceful experience and can bring a sense of calm for most people.
Being out in nature can also be a heart thumping experience depending on what you have chosen to do with your time with Mother Nature.
I once put in four days of climbing on the Appalachian Trail in the Shenandoah Valley. Considering how many rock faces I fell off during one particularly rainy day, I could have benefited by spending some time with Rainbow Climbing D.C.
This LGBT rock climbing group is a relatively new entity under the Team D.C. umbrella. Led by Chris Gorham, its members can usually be found at Earth Treks in Rockville on Tuesday and Thursday nights and sometimes on weekends. For beginners, this would be a great place to start. The club has no member dues, but the climbing fees at Earth Treks run around $20.
Rainbow Climbing D.C. has hosted two local outdoor climbs recently in Carderock, Md. The site is located on the Potomac and there is climbing available on both sides of the river. Carderock offers four top rope climbs and is a great place for beginners to try outdoor rock climbing. Gorham says it’s also a great place to hang out and the group will be planning another trip to Carderock soon.
As is the case with all the local LGBT sports clubs, there is a national organization that helps network the athletes. In rock climbing, it’s Homo Climbtastic. Its people help LGBT climbers and their local clubs connect with other climbers and clubs. Its website is also a public blog I found pretty entertaining (homoclimbtastic.com or on Facebook).
Homo Climbtastic also hosts two climbs annually and taut those as the worlds largest queer-friendly climbing conventions. Gorham just returned from the most recent convention in Bishop, Calif. One of the attractions in Bishop were two multi-pitch lead climbs with vertical elevations of 120 to 200 feet.
The next Homo Climbtastic convention will be held from July 14-18 at New River Gorge in Fayetteville, W.V. New River Gorge is the most popular rock climbing and rappelling destination in the eastern United States. Also located nearby is Summersville Lake which is a 28,000 acre body of water known nationwide for its variety of sports attractions.
At the 2010 Gay Games in Cologne, sport climbing was one of the sports contested. While Cleveland/Akron has not announced its sports for 2014, there is a good possibility that sport climbing will be on the list. Sport climbing is a style of rock climbing wherein a climber ascends a route that already has permanent bolts and anchors attached on the rock wall.
Sport climbing is considered the safest style of climbing because the climber is able to clip to the bolts which are generally 8 feet apart. The chance of falling is greatly diminished. Since the element of danger is reduced, sport climbing emphasizes the gymnastic and athletic aspects of climbing. It focuses on the development of the climber’s stamina, strength and flexibility.
According to Gorham, the best way to catch the rock climbing vibe is to put yourself out there in different locales with different climbers. Besides the group’s usual climbing at Earth Treks and the occasional Carderock trip, the climbers will also be at Sport Rock in Alexandria on May 20. For more information, find the group on Facebook under Rainbow Climbing D.C.
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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